A. Field of the Invention
The field of the present invention relates generally to wood fence systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to wood fence systems that utilize metal fence posts to support a plurality of wooden fence rails and pickets. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to a metal fence post that is formed from a metal fence post bracket which is mounted to a commonly available metal post to support a wood fence system.
B. Background
As is well known, fence systems are commonly utilized to separate one person's property from another person's property and/or to separate a single property into separate sections. Despite the availability of many different types of materials, including metals, plastics and a variety of different composites, wood fence systems are often preferred by many property owners, especially for homes and other residential properties. The reasons for the preference of wood fence systems include aesthetics, costs, blending with other neighborhood fences and materials utilized in nearby structures and due to the contractor's familiarity with wood materials.
Wood fences are typically, but not exclusively, configured in a post, rail and picket formation whereby a series of spaced apart posts are inserted into the ground in a substantially vertical configuration, one or more rails are mounted to the posts in a generally perpendicular manner (often one near the top of the post, near the middle of the post and near the bottom of the post) such that they are generally horizontal relative to the ground and a plurality of pickets are mounted perpendicularly in a side-by-side configuration to the rails in a generally vertical orientation which is substantially parallel to the posts. In the typical prior art wood fence system, the material used for the posts, rails and pickets has been wood, with wood four inch by four inch square posts being commonly utilized. Typically, the bottom portion of the wood fence post is inserted into a hole in the ground, which is filled with dirt, cement, concrete or other materials and then compacted around the fence post to provide additional support to the post and, therefore, the entire fence system. In many areas, the use of concrete or like material is mandated by city or county codes so as to reduce the likelihood the fence will fall over due to high winds. Even where not mandated, many fence owners and fencing contractors prefer to mount the posts in concrete to prevent strong winds, unexpected contact or other events causing the fence to be knocked down.
Often, wood fences are installed to replace a previous wooden fence. A common reason for replacing a fence is because it no longer stands in the preferred upright position due to the posts being unable to adequately support the weight of the rails and pickets (i.e., after being blown over). Often this results from deterioration of the wooden posts, particularly at or near the interface with the ground or concrete in which the post is buried. Generally, this deterioration takes place over time, weakening the fence system as it gets older. Even though the posts are not able to support the fence, the remaining components may still be in good condition. Even if this is the case, the fence owner typically replaces the entire fence system. Although some of the fence post deterioration can be avoided or substantially slowed by the use of proper preventative materials and techniques, such as specially formulated coatings, most fence owners do not apply these materials or do not apply them on a frequent enough basis. As a result, there is a need for a new fence post that can be utilized with wooden fence systems (i.e., the rails and pickets are still wood). Preferably, the new materials for fence posts should not detract from the beauty of the wooden fence system and, in fact, enhance the aesthetic appearance of the fence system.
Several manufactures and material suppliers have developed fence posts that substantially eliminate the deterioration problems with wooden fence posts by utilizing posts made out of non-wood materials, such as galvanized steel and the like (i.e., those which are strong, non-corrosive, etc.). These metal posts are inserted into a hole in the ground that is filled with concrete or other material and then the wood rails are mounted to the metal posts and the wood pickets are mounted to the rails, creating a fence system much like the typical all wood fence system. Often the metal posts are no more than square or round shaped tubular members, which tend to visually stand out and detract from the overall wood fence system. To avoid detracting from the beauty of a wood fence system, some manufactures utilize a metal fence post which is substantially hidden by the wood fence system components. As an example, the PostMaster™ fence post by Master-Halco comprises a generally U-shaped member having a pair of opposing, outwardly extending side members at the open end of the “U.” (this fence post and system is the subject of one or more patents, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,173,945 by Lindsey, et al. and 6,530,561 by Larsen, et al.). The wood rail sections, such as 2×4s, are mounted to the post on opposite sides of the “U” against the side members. A series of holes in the side members are utilized for inserting nails or screws into the rails to connect it to the post. A separate piece of wood material is used to cover the otherwise exposed closed end of the “U”. Although the Master-Halco U-shaped metal fence post provides some of the benefits over wood fence posts for wood fence systems, it does have several known drawbacks. For instance, the metal fence posts are typically made from bright galvanized steel, which generally does not enhance the color or texture of the wood fence members and, in fact, severely hurts the overall aesthetics of the fence. To improve the aesthetics, the U-shaped post is covered with wooden fence boards so it will not be seen. Covering the post in this manner generally makes these fence posts more difficult to use and costly to install. In addition to increasing the overall cost of the fence, these fence posts generally limit the configurations available for the fence when trying to hide the posts.
A metal post that has not heretofore been widely utilized as a fence post in wood fence systems is commonly known as a vineyard posts or signpost post. Although not utilized for wood fence systems, these posts have been utilized for many years in vineyards and to hold up signs, such as road signs and the like. In cross-section, the post has a pair of sloping sidewalls that are joined at their back edge by a substantially horizontal center wall and a pair of outwardly extending, but relatively short, wing flanges that extend generally horizontally from the front edge of each of the sidewalls in a configuration that is generally parallel to the center wall, such that the post is generally U-shaped with the sidewalls sloping outward from the center wall to the wing flanges. Although these posts are commonly manufactured and generally easily and economically obtained, the somewhat small length of the wing flanges (in part because the holes would not be attractive, the holes could not be easily hidden and the user would be limited in the type of attachment device utilized to secure the rail to the metal post) and other considerations have limited their consideration as a metal fence post. Due to the availability and common use of these posts, utilization of these posts as a fence post would generally provide for a lower cost and longer lasting fence system.
What is needed is an improved metal fence post for wood fence systems that provides for a lower overall cost and more aesthetically pleasing, longer lasting fence, without the need to hide or conceal the metal fence post. Preferably, the metal fence post comprises the commonly available vineyard post/signpost in a manner that is sufficient to support the wooden rails and pickets of a wood fence system. The preferred metal fence post and fence system will be easy to use and install to provide an overall more economical wood fence system. The metal post must be of sufficient strength to effectively support a typical wood fence system in an upright, vertical configuration. The preferred fence post should be shaped and configured to be easily inserted in the ground in an upright, vertical manner and adaptable for mounting one or more wooden rails thereto to support a plurality of pickets attached to the rails. To be effective, the metal fence post must be configured to adequately support the typical wooden fence system without requiring an undesirable number of posts.